Chili’s Awesome Blossom

Chili’s Awesome Blossom was an amazing menu item at Chilis. While this tasty onion appetizer was retired from the menu, you can still enjoy this favorite flavor.

Chili’s is known for its flavorful food and delicious cocktails. Everyone loves Chili’s Chicken Crispers and Chili’s Salsa.

The Awesome Blossom is aptly named. It’s a “bloom” of breaded and deep-fried onion. You pick apart the petals of the onion “flower” and dip them in a delicious sauce with just the right amount of spice.

The Awesome Blossom has been replaced at Chili’s by Awesome Blossom Petals. Awesome Blossom Petals is a very similar (but lighter) version of the full blooming onion but is served up as separate petals. It consists of a light, flaky breading, hints of seasoned salt, sweetness from the onion, and a ranch-style dressing dip.

About Chili’s Restaurant

Chili’s began life in 1975 as a quirky little hamburger joint in a building that used to be a Dallas post office. Now there are over 1,600 Chili’s spread over 33 countries.

If you go to a Chili’s, you’ll find an upside-down photo. This is a tradition that goes back to the first Chili’s when a photo was accidentally hung the wrong way.

Now the upside-down picture means that good luck will follow Chili’s diners. So go there for good fortune and delicious food! If you are interested in reading more about the history of Chili’s, click here.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

• Large Onion
• All-purpose flour
• McCormick Seasoned Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Buttermilk
• Sour cream
• Ketchup
• Ground red pepper
• Horseradish
• Paprika
• Vegetable oil for frying

How to Make Chili’s Awesome Blossom

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, and garlic powder together. 
2. Cut the top off the onion, then peel the onion but make sure the root stays intact.
3. Carefully slice the onion from the top stopping about a half of an inch above the root.
4. Slice the rest of the onion the way same as a pie. 
5. Soak the onion in ice-cold water for about 30 minutes until the onion’s petals open up and bloom.
6. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
7. Drain the onion and dip it in the flour mixture and dust thoroughly.
8. Dip the onion in buttermilk and back in the flour mixture.
9. Place the breaded onion in the hot oil and fry until golden.
10. When done, drain the fried onion well and place it on a plate.
11. Cut the center out of the onion.
12. Mix sour cream, ketchup, seasoned salt, red pepper, horseradish, and paprika together.
13. Place the sauce in a small ramekin in the center of the onion blossom.
14. Garnish with paprika and a dash of red pepper.

Recipe Modifications

If you are counting calories, you can make these modifications to this copycat Awesome Blossom recipe:

• Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
• Find a brand of ketchup that has low sugar content. Of course, if you make your own ketchup, you have complete control over how much sugar goes into it.

How to Store Onions

Never store your onions with your potatoes because the gases they emit will make the other vegetable spoil faster. Get more information about storing fruits and vegetables.

Let me know how much fun you’ve had making an Awesome Blossom out of an onion. Here are some more links for you to try including a couple of copycat onion recipes:

• Outback Bloomin Onion
• Outback Bloomin Onion Sauce

Love Chili’s? Try these copycat recipes!

• Baby Back Ribs
• Original Chili Recipe
• Margarita Chicken
• Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Favorite Fried Appetizer Recipes

• Coconut Fried Shrimp
• Fried Jalapeno Poppers
• Fried Mozzarella Sticks
• Fried Rangoon

Check out more of my easy appetizer recipes and the best copycat recipes for casual dining restaurants here on CopyKat!